Starbucks Expands Parental Leave Benefits

(RTTNews) - Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) has decided to expand its parental leave plan for U.S. employees, as the coffee retailing giant looks to lure its employees to stay put.

In a note to employees, Starbucks said birth moms will be eligible for six weeks of paid leave at 100 percent of their average pay, effective October 1. Earlier, six weeks of leave were issued at 67 percent of average pay. All employees who work a minimum of 20 or more hours a week are eligible for benefits.

Additionally, parents can also take 12 weeks of unpaid leave when they welcome a new child either through birth, adoption or foster.

Starbucks is expanding its family leave policies amid intense competition to attract and retain employees amidst low unemployment rate in the U.S. Starbucks currently employs over 160,000 partners in the U.S. However, its is not clear how many of those employees are eligible for the benefits.

"While we have made substantial investments in our partners, we want to continue to do more," said President and COO Kevin Johnson. "This is one of many steps we are actively taking to evolve our benefits and create a Partner Experience that lives up to our aspirations."